• "The 12 Dates of Christmas" is not your grandmother's Christmas show. Running Nov. 29-Dec. 23 at N.C. Stage Co. (alternating with "All Is Calm," Dec. 6-30), "Dates" promises "a heartwarming one-woman show that offers a hilarious and modern alternative to the old standards of the holiday season," according to the theater company. The story begins when Mary sees her fiancé kissing another woman on TV during the Macy's parade on Thanksgiving, then follows her through a year of dating. It comes with an "adult language" warning. For dates, showtimes and tickets, visit ncstage.org or call 828-239-0263.

• For more traditional Christmas fare, "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" returns to Asheville Community Theatre, Dec. 1-17. The family-oriented comedy runs at 7:30 p.m. Fridays, at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 16 and at 2:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays at the theater, 35 E. Walnut St. For tickets, visit ashevilletheatre.org or call 828-254-1320.

• Several singular shopping opportunities are this weekend only. The Big Crafty's holiday show will be 1-8 p.m. Dec. 2 ($5) and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Dec. 3 (free) at Asheville's US Cellular Center. The show includes 180 hand-selected artists offering their wares and demos, as well as food and local brews for purchase. The Crafty's tag line says it all: "Shop Independent. Shop Handmade. Shop Fun."

The UNC Asheville craft sale is Dec. 1-2 this year. Admission is free; wares start at $5.(Photo: Courtesy of UNCA)

• Also handmade are the works at the UNC Asheville Holiday Art Sale, open 4-7 p.m. Dec. 1 and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Dec. 2 in the S. Tucker Cooke Gallery of Owen Hall on campus. Admission is free to browse the pottery, drawings, paintings, photography, glass and sculpture crafted by students, with prices $5 and up. Proceeds benefit the Department of Art and Art History.

• It's also the weekend of The Toe River Studio Tour throughout Yancey and Mitchell counties. Visit with 104 artists at 58 studio sites, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Dec. 1-3. For details, visit ToeRiverArts.org.

• For holiday music featuring your friends and neighbors, we have two recommendations this weekend. The Hendersonville Community Band Holiday Concert is at 3 p.m. Dec. 3 at the Blue Ridge Community College Conference Hall on East Campus Drive in Flat Rock. Admission is $10; to learn more, visit hcbmusic.com or call 828-713-8590.

• Also in Henderson County is the Carolina Concert Choir's Winter Concert, dubbed "Bach and Holiday Pops." Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 1 and 3 p.m. Dec. 2 in Thomas Auditorium at Blue Ridge Community College in Flat Rock. Tickets are $22, students with ID $5 at carolinaconcertchoir.org or at the door.

Too much Christmas for you? Check out these non-holiday events as well:

• With a poetic name like Jangling Sparrows, this Asheville-based band grabs your attention and then holds it with the music. The outfit is fronted by local singer-songwriter, guitarist and poet Paul Edelman, who calls the band's new album, "140 Nickels," a reference to their struggling-artist days, "a love letter to our former selves. It attempts to bridge the gap between then and now, both in the approach to the songs and the songs themselves." Jangling Sparrows tap into roots rock, country, folk and soul, unified by Edelman's emotional vocal delivery. Catch the Sparrows at 8 p.m. Dec. 1 at Sanctuary Brewing Co., 147 First Ave. E in Hendersonville.

• It's the 76th anniversary of America's entry into World War II, so it's the perfect time for this Pearl Harbor Survivor Lecture, at 2 p.m. Dec. 7 at the WNC Military History Museum at 21 E. Main St., next to the historic Courthouse in downtown Brevard. Co-sponsored by the Blinded Veterans Association, this will be an afternoon with Pearl Harbor veteran Craig Kirkpatrick, who was serving on the USS Castor on Dec. 7, 1941. He'll talk about his experiences and sign any Pearl Harbor memorabilia visitors bring. To learn more, contact curator Emmett Casciato at 828-885-7938 or emmettcasciato@gmail.com.

• Laugh away your Christmas blues with Parkway Playhouse’s teen improv comedy troupe, Get the Hook, onstage at 7 p.m. Dec. 1 and 2 at the playhouse in Burnsville. According to the playhouse, "the troupe will play high energy, improvised games based on suggestions from the audience." The troupe includes MJ Bellington, Olivia Hughes, Zachariah Malas, Brooks Murphy and Jack Weinmeister. Admission is by donation at the door, $5 suggested; proceeds help cover the costs of the troupe’s workshops at the 2017 New South Comedy Festival in Greenville, South Carolina. To learn more, call 828-682-4285 or visit parkwayplayhouse.com.